Our Most Celebrated Alpine Stomach Bitters

AlpineStomach_GehrmannAd

Advertisement Gehrmann, Ahrens & Co., importers and distillers, Manufacturers of Our Most Celebrated Alpine Stomach BittersNew York City Directory, 1862 & 1865

“Our Most Celebrated” Alpine Stomach Bitters

GEHRMANN, AHRENS & CO. | NYC

04 September 2013 (R•081919)

Apple-Touch-IconAGood grief, this is a tough one. All I can find is a Ludwig Gehrmann and a John Ahrens in New York City in and around 1865. They represented Gehrmann, Ahrens & Co., who put out “Our Most Celebrated” Alpine Stomach Bitters. They were located on 26 Canal Street in the heart of lower Manhattan. The stories surrounding this neighborhood are amazing.

The new listing in Bitters Bottles Supplement 2:

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A 37.5 ALPINE STOMACH BITTERS, Wines and Liquors. Gehrmann, Ahrens & Co., Importers of Brandies, Rums, Whiskies, Gins, Wines, &c., Manufacturers of Our Most Celebrated Alpine Stomach Bitters, No. 26, Canal Street, Cor. of Rutgers St., New York., New York City Directory, 1862 and 1865.

This is not about the Alpine Herb Bitters represented by Thomas Taylor Company from San Francisco in 1888 nor the Alpine Bitters put out by Kornemann & Co. in New York in 1869. Another Alpine Bitters! And yes, I am aware of the E. Widemann “Alpine Stomach Bitters“. Stay tuned on that one.

HudsonStreet1865

Group street-front pose on Hudson Street – circa 1865

1865 City Mortality in NYC

CITY MORTALITY. — From the City Inspector’s report it appears that 660 deaths occurred in this city during the past week – 106 men, 100 women, 262 boys and 192 girls – being an increase of 106 upon the mortality of the previous week, and of 50 upon that of the corresponding week of 1864. Of the deceased 416 were children under five years of age. The mortality of the principal diseases were as follows Cholera infantum, 148; consumption, 59; infantile marasmus, 56; convulsions, 45; diarrhoea, 32; dysentery. 20; croup, 5; bilious fever, 5; typhus fever, 24; scarlet fever, 8; inflammation of the lungs, 32; small-pox, 8. – New York Times – July 19, 1865

Listings:

Gehrmann, Adolph, 159 First ave., Trow’s New York City Directory, 1865

Gehrmann, Ludwig, distiller, 26 Canal, Trow’s New York City Directory, 1865

Gehrmann, Ludwig, liquors, 26 Canal, New York City Directory, 1868, 1869

Gehrmann, Ahrens & Co., importers and distillers, 26 Canal, Trow’s New York City Directory, 1865

Ahrens, John G. H., distiller, 26 Canal, Trow’s New York City Directory, 1865

Ahrens, Jno G. H., retail, 89 Murray, Bonfort’s Wine and Liquor Trade Directory for the United States, 1875

Ahrens, John G. H., wines, 89 Murray, City Directories of New York City, 1878

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Various Gehrmann listingsTrow’s New York City Directory, 1865

Rectifying Establishment Explosion:

EXPLOSION IN RUTGERS-STREET. — At about 8 o’clock yesterday morning a copper-still exploded in Mr. LUDWIG GEHRMANN‘s rectifying establishment, at Nos. 2 Rutgers and 26 Canal-streets, and THEODORE HUNGER, of Division-street, and JOHN ENGLER, were severely cut, bruised and scalded. Mr. HUNGER was taken home, and a policeman removed ENGLER to Bellevue Hospital. Mr. GEHRMANN has $6,500 insurance against fire in the New-Amsterdam office. He estimates his loss at $150. – New York Times – July 19, 1865

Disastrous Fire, New York Times, July 14, 1865

BAM-photo

A photograph of Barnum’s American Museum, New York City – 1858

Read: Total Destruction of Barnum’s American Museum. Nine Other Buildings Burned to the Ground. LOSS ESTIMATED AT $1,000,000.

26 Canal Street | Gehrmann, Ahrens & Co:

Canal Street takes its name from a canal that was dug in the early 19th century to drain a contaminated and disease-ridden Collect Pond into the Hudson River. The pond was filled in 1811, and Canal Street was completed in 1820 following the angled path the canal had.

CanalBroadwayCorner

Corner of Canal and Broadway, NYC – circa 1834

Watch: Short Documentary “Forgotten New York, Canal Street”

26 Canal Street today:

Losing some of its charm for sure, 26 Canal Street today.

26 Canal Street

26CanalLong

see 26 Canal Street now

About Ferdinand Meyer V

Ferdinand Meyer V is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and has a BFA in Fine Art and Graphic Design from the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design. Ferdinand is the founding Principal of FMG Design, a nationally recognized design consultation firm. Ferdinand is a passionate collector of American historical glass specializing in bitters bottles, color runs and related classic figural bottles. He is married to Elizabeth Jane Meyer and lives in Houston, Texas with their daughter and three wonderful grandchildren. The Meyers are also very involved in Quarter Horses, antiques and early United States postage stamps. Ferdinand is the past 6-year President of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors and is one of the founding members of the FOHBC Virtual Museum.
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